Bharat Dynamics Limited secures ₹1,109.37 crore order from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for Helina missile launchers

Key facts

• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) secured an order worth ₹1,109.37 crore from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to supply launchers for helicopter-launched Helina anti-tank missiles.
• The contract includes an additional ₹238.34 crore for Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) and Countermeasure Dispensing System (CMDS) to be executed over a period of 24 to 60 months.
• Helina is a third-generation, fire-and-forget missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as the helicopter-launched version of the Nag missile.
• The missile system has an operational range of 500 metres to 7 kilometres and utilises a high-resolution imaging infrared seeker to identify and track targets using heat signatures.
• The Indian Air Force version of the missile is named Dhruvastra, which is designed to engage armoured targets in both direct-attack and top-attack modes.